IDF: Islamic Jihad leader thought dead
Early Saturday morning, the Israeli army attacks a school building in Gaza City, alleged to have been a command center for militant organizations. According to Israel, 19 terrorists were killed in the operation, including Ashraf Juda, who was said to have played a leading role in the Islamic Jihad. The Israeli army stated that there was a "high probability" that Ashraf Juda was present in the "military command center" that was set up in the target of the attack. Ashraf Juda was a leading member of the Islamic Jihad. However, it is not certain that he was killed in the attack on the Al-Tabien School.
Prior to this, the Israeli army had stated that at least 19 terrorists from Hamas and Islamic Jihad were killed in the "precise strike" on the school building in the city of Gaza. This could be confirmed by an investigation by the intelligence services. The army published the names and photos of the suspected Islamic fighters who were allegedly killed. "The terrorists operated with the aim of carrying out attacks on Israeli soldiers (...) from within the school grounds," the army added. It also stressed that the attack was carried out with "three precise types of ammunition" and assured that "the area where the terrorists were located did not suffer major damage." According to the Civil Defense Authority in the Gaza Strip, 93 people were killed and dozens more injured in the rocket attack on Saturday morning. The attack took place during morning prayers. Among the dead were 11 children and six women.
Still 111 Hostages in Gaza
Israel has accused Hamas of using schools, hospitals, and other civilian facilities for military purposes and using civilians as human shields since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip. Hamas denies this. The war has been going on for over ten months now. It was triggered by the brutal large-scale attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7. According to Israeli figures, fighters from the radical Islamic Palestinian organization and the Islamic Jihad killed 1198 people and took 251 people hostage in the Gaza Strip. 111 hostages are still being held there, with 39 of them officially dead.
In response to the attack, Israel has been conducting large-scale military operations in the Gaza Strip. According to figures from the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, which cannot be independently verified, at least 39,790 people have been killed.
The Al-Tabien School, where the alleged command center was located, is situated in the Gaza Strip. Despite the Israeli army's claims of a precision strike, the Civil Defense Authority confirmed 93 fatalities and several injuries within the Gaza Strip.
